Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Anqing

For one person, living is cheaper in Anqing: $643 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Anqing
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Anqing Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Anqing

🇨🇳 China

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Anqing

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shenzhen and in Anqing actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Shenzhen vs $643 in Anqing, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,138
Anqing $643

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,005 in Anqing, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,750
Anqing $1,005

A family of three spends $2,362 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,368 in Anqing, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,362
Anqing $1,368

Shenzhen costs about 77% more than Anqing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Anqing are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 16% lower, Anqing 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$2.68 ¥17.95

36.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$19.93 ¥133

47.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$5.87 ¥39.23

-10.05%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$2.14 ¥14.28

52.80%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.43 ¥2.88

25.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.21 ¥1.40

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$1.04 ¥6.95

47.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$1.36 ¥9.07

58.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$0.98 ¥6.55

65.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.51 ¥10.10

7.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$1.01 ¥6.72

7.92%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$0.88 ¥5.91

94.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$13.30 ¥88.9

60.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$3.62 ¥24.23

-4.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$11.67 ¥78.1

22.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$2.19 ¥14.66

6.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.26 ¥8.39

25.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.46 ¥9.77

33.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.14 ¥7.61

28.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$0.78 ¥5.24

38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.82 ¥5.51

52.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.38 ¥2.51

55.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.38 ¥2.55

55.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$6.57 ¥43.90

-32.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$11.83 ¥79.1

-0.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.74 ¥4.93

32.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$1.50 ¥10.06

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$0.93 ¥6.21

55.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.24 ¥1.60

62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$3.00 ¥20.09

134.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.23 ¥8.24

8.94%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$19.5K ¥130.5K

-0.49%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$16.6K ¥110.7K

9.62%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$65.1 ¥435

$57.8 ¥386

12.71%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.25 ¥68.5

$8.67 ¥58.0

18.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$8.71 ¥58.2

85.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$75.3 ¥504

-35.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$15.11 ¥101

14.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$5.25 ¥35.10

43.05%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$538 ¥3,596

$221 ¥1,476

143.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$11.8K ¥79.1K

104.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$25.01 ¥167

119.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$21.19 ¥142

88.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$78.2 ¥523

-7.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$34.17 ¥228

173.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$193 ¥1,289

298.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$137 ¥917

254.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$357 ¥2,384

455.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$238 ¥1,592

265.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$13.1K ¥87.7K

4.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$6,480 ¥43.3K

-5.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

$775 ¥5,179

124.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

11.67%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Anqing: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Anqing

$137 21.3% 71.8% $349

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Anqing

$196 30.5% 22% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Anqing

$71 11.1% 39.2% $46

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Anqing

$75 11.7% 24.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Anqing

$75 11.7% 17.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Anqing

$86 13.4% 34.5% $22

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Anqing

$2.1 * 0.3% 92.4% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Shenzhen versus $193 in Anqing. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 124% higher in Shenzhen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Shenzhen versus $20.00 in Anqing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $196 – making Anqing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Anqing

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

4,165,284

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Shenzhen Anqing 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Shenzhen
Anqing

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Shenzhen vs Anqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,138 in Shenzhen, $643 in Anqing – roughly 77% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,706 per month in Shenzhen and $964 in Anqing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Anqing, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Shenzhen and $20.00 in Anqing. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Shenzhen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Anqing, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Shenzhen at $1,138. In Anqing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Anqing – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Anqing. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shenzhen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.